Hearts sure they can join the champions

The destination of the second Champions League slot remains unclear following this hard-fought and controversial draw. The result leaves the Edinburgh club six points clear of Rangers with eight games left, and the concern for them now is whether they have the mental strength to close it out.

Captain Steven Pressley was in no doubt afterwards that his team can claim second place and the qualifying slot that goes with it.

"We're still in pole position," he claimed. "Whose position would you rather be in? Celtic and Rangers have been over this course many times before but it's new territory for us.

"Even so, we have experience in our side as well as some hungry youngsters and I'm sure we have the mental strength to hold on."

Hearts have been renowned for the ferocity of their starts in this campaign and they forced the issue from the kick-off, breaking the deadlock after nine minutes.

Deividas Cesnauskis was the architect, collecting a Pressley pass on the right flank and flicking behind Ian Murray. Paul Hartley raced into the space vacated by the full-back and the Scotland midfielder drew Ronald Waterreus to his near post before cutting back for Edgaras Jankauskas. The Lithuanian thrashed the ball home from two yards.

Rangers' cause was not helped by the baffling decision to start with Dado Prso on the left wing, an error which was not rectified until shortly before half-time.

The champions had failed to trouble keeper Craig Gordon during that period, although Peter Lovenkrands rippled the side netting with one shot on the turn.

Prso should have been dismissed three minutes after the restart when he sent Pressley sprawling with what seemed to be a forearm smash. Referee Craig Thomson, inadequate throughout, decided a yellow card sufficed.

"You'd prefer to talk about the performances of the teams," said Hearts' director of football, Jim Duffy. "Unfortunately, today the focus was on the official. There were one or two decisions we didn't agree with but that one was particularly contentious."

Gordon produced an astonishing reflex save to deny Thomas Buffel an equaliser, but the Belgian earned the point Rangers' second-half display just about merited when he prodded home Chris Burke's cross.

Burke sliced wide from six yards and Robbie Neilson clipped the crossbar but the winner proved elusive for both sides.

That disappointed Alex McLeish, who believed his side had done enough in the second period to merit three points. "We had the chances to win but I can see the battle for second place going down to the wire," he said.

Match details

Hearts (4-4-2): Gordon; Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Fyssas; Cesnauskis, Brellier, Hartley, Skacel (Mikoliunas 86); Jankauskas, Bednar (Elliot 76). Subs: Banks (g), Berra, Goncalves, Aguiar, Petras. Goal: Jankauskas (9). Booked: Hartley, Skacel, Brellier.
Rangers (4-3-1-2): Waterreus; Hutton, Rodriguez, Kyrgiakos, Murray; Burke, Ferguson, Hemdani; Buffel; Lovenkrands (Boyd 56), Prso (Novo 75). Subs: Klos (g), Andrews, Ricksen, Namouchi, Smith. Goal: Buffel (65). Booked: Burke, Prso.
Referee: Craig Thomson.

Taken from telegraph.co.uk